(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a panel jig apparatus for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a panel jig apparatus for a vehicle, which can correspond to panels of different shapes and sizes according to vehicle type, regardless of the dimensions of a panel and the degree of curvature of a surface.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, a vehicle is manufactured by numerous assembling processes using about twenty to thirty thousands of parts. In particular, a vehicle body is formed by a first assembling process such that vehicle body panels are produced in a press process, and each part of the vehicle body is then assembled in a vehicle body factory to form a vehicle body in a body-in-white (B.I.W) state. The formed vehicle body undergoes a main body process for mounting side walls, a loop, a rear panel, etc. on the floor thereof, and then is painted in painting process. After that, an engine, a transmission, interior, and exterior parts are assembled in an outfitting process.
Each panel to be mounted on the vehicle body is fabricated by press working, which is mounted and fixed on a panel jig apparatus in a vehicle body assembly process. The vehicle body then undergoes operations including assembling, welding, sealing, and hemming, and is then painted in a painting process.
During assembly, however, it is difficult to apply the aforementioned conventional panel jig apparatus commonly/universally to panels for different vehicle types as the panels come in different shapes and sizes according to vehicle type. Thus, it is necessary to manufacture dedicated jig apparatuses according to vehicle type.
Moreover, the manufacture of dedicated jig apparatuses according to vehicle type involves significant investment costs that increase each time a new vehicle type is introduced because of additional costs of remodeling and reconstructing a new jig apparatus. Furthermore, because of the advances in the automotive designs the structure of the jig apparatus continually become more and more complicated to make.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.